


A True Hero

by bilgegungoren00



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/M, Legion - Freeform, Legion of SuperHeroes - Freeform, post 2x22
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-11-05 06:19:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11007735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bilgegungoren00/pseuds/bilgegungoren00
Summary: After being with the Legion of Superheroes for 3 years in the future, and seeing everything Kara has done, he wonders if he should go back in time to her or not.





	1. Away

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!!!
> 
> Wow, I just realized I really haven't posted anything this week, and it's so unlike me, but I'm in US right now in a competition so it's a miracle that I even managed to finish this. But anyway, I did, and I hope you like this!
> 
> On another note, though, I know next to _nothing_ about comic books and Mon-El's Legion of Superheroes storyline, I'm just going by what I heard about them, what I read on Wikipedia, and I'm doing my take on it. So I really apologize if this ended up being really different from comic books - I wasn't intending to make it similar. 
> 
> Also, this was inspired by a post by karamelizedlove on Tumblr, so thank you for that sweetie :)
> 
> Enjoy!

**_34 th Century A.D. – 3 years after Mon-El was forced to leave Earth_ **

It was around 1 a.m. when Mon-El walked up the familiar stairs of the building, his hands tucked into his pockets. He didn’t know how many times he’d come here in the last two years, but it was enough to memorize every single part of it, from the fountain in the front to the trees adorning both sides of the walkway, from the columns that supported the building’s roof to the statues of both Supergirl and Superman standing side by side, looking strong as ever even centuries after their death.

The Super Museum had always been one of the best parts of Mon-El’s life here…and one of the worst.

Taking a deep breath he looked up at the doors in front of him, and opened them with a small push. He knew there would be no one around because of the time of day, which was probably for the best. He liked to visit the museum alone, where he could completely skip the Superman section and go to the Supergirl section. Where he could not only reminisce this amazingly strong and beautiful hero and feminist icon Supergirl, but also the person she’d been _under_ that cape: Kara Zor-El, the caring, trustworthy, and brave Kryptonian that he’d absolutely, completely, irrevocably fallen in love with, and still loved even though he’d been away from her for three years.

He didn’t even look up at any of the displays in the Superman section as his feet took him through the familiar corridors to what he’d come to see. He only slowed down and lifted his eyes when he came to entrance of it. A small smile pulled his lips. Reaching forward he pressed his hands on the hologram device to activate it, mumbling the words that had etched into his minds by then, since he probably listened to them for too many times to be considered normal: “Welcome to the Supergirl section.”

Kara’s image popped up not too long later. Mon-El felt his breath shorten at the sight of her. She was in her Supergirl suit—duh—with her shoulders straightened up, her hands on her waist, and her cape flowing behind her. There was a confident smile on her face as she lifted her chin, her hair cascading down her back and over her shoulders in golden curls. She looked stunning, illuminating, strong, inspiring, everything a hero should be. Everything she was.

“Welcome to the Supergirl section,” she chirped, her blue eyes shining with happiness. Not for the first time Mon-El thought that whoever prepared her hologram hadn’t done them justice. He could still remember how they really looked when she took off her glasses and smiled at him: As bright and warm as… _comets._ That was what her eyes always reminded him of. When he was back on Daxam, watching the stars in the sky was his favorite thing to do. It was something that his parents couldn’t change or stain, no matter how much they might want to. And every now and then he’d see a comet up there, shining so _white_ that it would be almost blinding, something that didn’t exist on the planet. Daxam was full of dull shades of red, beige, and black, and maybe… Maybe that was why those comets made him feel less lonely. It made him think that somewhere out in the universe there was a place where people were safe and happy and loved. It gave him _hope._ Of course, as he got older, he believed less and less that he’d able to find that place, yet he always believed in the _existence_ of it.

No wonder he likened Kara’s eyes to comets when he’d gotten to know her.

“Here you will find articles, news footages, and interviews of Supergirl herself,” hologram Kara continued, taking Mon-El out of his thoughts, ”as well as hologram reenactments of some of her most famous battles. In addition to that, you will be able to see the different suits she’d worn throughout the years.” There was a glint of excitement in her eyes, something Mon-El was all too familiar with. They at least had gotten that right.

“Sounds exciting,” he said dryly to her, even though he knew the hologram couldn’t answer. Still, a corner of Kara’s lips tipped up—as they were programmed to do, of course—like she was smiling at his comment. He forced a smile at her as well. Not that it mattered, but it was better than nothing.

“If you want me to accompany you as your tour guide, please say one. If you would like to tour the section alone, please say two.” Lifting her chin Kara waited, her eyes almost staring off at the distance. Mon-El watched her face for one more second, taking it in even though it was just a hologram, before answering.

“Two.” He’d toured the museum too many times with her, just so that he could listen to her voice. But tonight… Tonight he just wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

Kara’s smile didn’t even falter at his sort-of rejection; instead it widened. “Enjoy the rest of your tour here at the Super Museum,” she sang out before she disappeared. Mon-El stared at the spot for a couple of seconds afterwards, feeling his heart constrict in his chest. A sad smile pulled his lips.

“I love you too, Kara,” he mumbled before he walked into the Supergirl section, even though he wasn’t sure if she was still feeling that way. Even though he knew she probably didn’t. He swallowed hard to get rid of the knot in his throat.

He remembered the first time he came here. It was around two years ago, if he was correct, right after the Legion had found a permanent cure for his invulnerability to lead, so that he could visit Earth without an issue. Apparently they, the Legion of Superheroes, were the ones that plucked him from space after he left Earth because they needed his help. At first he’d been reluctant about the helping part, especially since he had absolutely no idea who any of the members of the Legion was, or what their intentions were. Until they offered him something he couldn’t refuse: _In return for your help, we will find a cure for your lead invulnerability and send you back to your time and your home._ Only Rao knew how much he wanted that. Well, and probably the Legion too, because since that day he worked day and night to help them so that he could go back to Kara as soon as possible. He hadn’t told anyone much about her, yet the couple of people he told was enough for the rumor that he was trying to get back to his love to spread.

But now…

He shook away those thoughts as he entered the section, watching all the lights flicker on. The whole room around her suddenly came to life when it detected him. And it was a _huge_ room, maybe even bigger than the throne room his parents had back on Daxam. On his left there was the hologram section, showing Supergirl fighting numerous aliens. One of them came alive as he walked by it. He watched Kara fly into the air and focus her heat vision on the alien in front of her. “You should’ve known better than to mess with Supergirl,” she muttered as the alien hit the ground with a thump. Mon-El knew it wasn’t even real, yet he couldn’t help the small, proud smile that started forming on his lips. He’d watched all of the holograms numerous times, having only them and news footages to see her. He’d also probably read all the articles about Supergirl, and how she always saved the day. It made him feel proud of her that she’d become a hero that was still remembered centuries later. He always knew that she was a special kind of person that would never be forgotten, but seeing it come to life was just incredible.

He was walking down the museum, his eyes flickering from the articles on the right side of the room to the holograms that came alive on the left side. And maybe that was why, despite his superhearing, he didn’t hear his friend call for him until he appeared by his side.

“Hey, Mon-El.” Mon-El looked up to see the man walk up to his side, an easy-going smile on his face. “I knew you would be here when I couldn’t find you at your house. You come here whenever you have some down time.” Smiling dryly, the Daxamite shrugged.

“You know why I come,” he muttered under his breath. “Hey, Jo.” Jo stood right next to him, looking at the display in front of them. His eyes flickered over Kara’s suit.

“This was her original suit, right?” he asked, turning to Mon-El. “The one she wore when you met her?” Swallowing hard to get rid of the knot, Mon-El nodded.

“Yeah, but it seems like,” he started and stopped to clear his throat, “she’s had a lot of change in her suit.” He looked down at all of the suits down the hall, most of them the same style as her original suit but with a little tweak here and there. He liked her original suit the best though, not because it was the coolest or most beautiful one, but because it was how he’d gotten to know her.

“That she did,” Jo agreed with a nod, at least before shaking his head. “Anyway, that’s not what I came here to say.” He turned to Mon-El. “I heard that you refused to go back to Kara’s time.” Mon-El winced visibly with Jo’s question as he ducked his chin, focusing his gaze on his feet. He frowned to pull his thoughts together as Jo continued. “I was surprised to hear that. I thought you’d have jumped at that opportunity. I mean, you worked your butt off for three years, day and night, sometimes without even sleeping, _just_ to get back to her.” Mon-El couldn’t find anything to say as he frowned, shaking his head.

“That was before,” he muttered, his voice low. “Things are…different now.” Jo gaped at him jokingly.

“Don’t tell me you aren’t in love with her anymore,” he laughed, almost as if the idea is ridiculous. Mon-El shot him a glare before sighing.

“Of course I am,” he admitted. “But… But I don’t know if _she’s_ still in love with _me_.” He looked up at her suit, tracing the lines of it with his eyes. “I don’t know if she should be with me.” Jo seemed like he was about to laugh again at first, but then he stopped, his gaze fixing on the Daxamite.

“You’re serious,” he said matter-of-factly, searching Mon-El’s eyes. “You’re not joking.” Mon-El shook his head as he forced a smile, but it disappeared way too quickly. He took a deep breath.

“Look around you, Jo,” he told his friend, turning around and gesturing at the museum with is hand. “Look at what Kara has accomplished. We’re in 34th century now, centuries after her death, and she’s still remembered, and not only that she’s also honored and loved. She’s accomplished so much, and I don’t… I don’t want to go back in time and hinder that.” He tucked his hands into his pockets to hide their shakiness. Yes, _of course_ he was proud of _everything_ Kara had done, and _of course_ he was so happy for her, yet… Yet there was a part of him that wished he could’ve been there for all of that. Instead… Instead he was stuck in this time in the future, and Kara had singlehandedly done all of that. Without needing anyone by her side. This was _her_ life, _her_ accomplishment, and he didn’t want to take that away _because_ he loved her and wanted to be with her.

“Mon-El, I don’t think anyone could stop that girl from accomplishing all these, let alone you. She’s destined for great things, and she’d gonna get that, whether you’re there for her or not.” He leaned forward to look at Mon-El’s face. “So why are you hesitating when you obviously want it? And don’t tell me that you don’t, it’s written all over your face.” Mon-El laughed dryly as he bowed his head, clenching and unclenching his fists in his pockets. It took a couple of seconds for him to find an answer.

“I don’t want to risk it. I’m not…” He had to stop to get rid of the shakiness in his voice. “I’m not worthy of her losing this future. I’ll… I don’t think I’ll ever be worthy of it.” Mon-El could feel his throat knotting and his heart slamming against his ribs as he focused his gaze on one of Kara’s holograms. It took Jo less than milliseconds to answer.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, stop there. What does it mean that _you’re not worthy of it_?” Mon-El felt him step in front of him. “Because let me tell you, not only that you _are,_ but you’re also not in the position to decide that for _her._ Only she can do that.” The Daxamite shot him a glare before shaking his head.

“She’s an…an incredible person, and a true hero. I’m—“

“Both of those as well. You’ve proven yourself to be an incredible person and hero several times.”

“Jo—“ Mon-El tried to cut in, but Jo ignored him as he continued.

“You helped us with numerous missions when you didn’t have to. We only needed your help with one of them. You risked your life for every member of the Legion at least one. You _saved_ our lives without a care for your own. And you worked, and trained, and pushed yourself day and night just so that you could complete your mission and go back to her, not just as Mon-El but as _Valor,_ a hero that you promised Kara you would be.” He shrugged almost nonchalantly with an uninterested look on his face except the glint of happiness in his eyes. “I don’t know about you, but I think that screams a hero worthy of everything to me.” Mon-El couldn’t find anything to say to that as he watched Kara’s hair float around her head when the hologram punched its opponent in the face. Jo spoke again when he didn’t say anything.

“Besides, Supergirl isn’t the only part of her life. She’s also Kara Danvers inside, _Kara_ _Zor_ - _El_ , and weren’t you the one that told me the articles she wrote seemed a bit dry and emotionless after your loss?” Jo looked directly at Mon-El’s eyes, until he nodded. Yes, they did sound cold and distant, but it could also be _him_ imagining that. Even though they definitely used to be more joyous before he was gone. And yes, he would know since he requested every single article of her from the Legion, and he had a roomful—it _was_ a huge room—of CatCo newspapers at his house.

“She doesn’t need me, Jo,” Mon-El whispered after seconds later, looking at his friend. And wasn’t that true. He would just pull her back, keep her from reaching her full potential. She’d done that in his absence, how could he just get in the way of that? How was it fair to her, to _his_ love for her?

“No, she doesn’t,” Jo agreed with a nod, his shoulders relaxed. Mon-El shot him a glare but he only laughed at that. “But it isn’t just about _you,_ Mon-El. She doesn’t need _anyone_ to be strong, independent, or confident. She’s… Well, she’s the _girl of steel._ ” A small smile pulled Mon-El’s lips. “But that doesn’t mean she should be alone, or she _wants_ to be alone. If she wants to be with you, it’s her choice, and she should have the right to make that choice.” Jo grinned at that. “Besides, trust me, that girl isn’t gonna let anyone get in the way of her becoming all that she could be.” He put his hand on Mon-El’s shoulder and ducked his chin to look at his face. “Just… Don’t miss this opportunity to see her again. It wouldn’t be fair to you, and frankly, it wouldn’t be fair to her either.” He smiled with a shrug. “She did tell you she loved you before you left, right?” The corners of Mon-El’s lips tipped up at that as he nodded, already feeling slightly lighter.

“Yeah, she did.” He still couldn’t believe that it had happened, even though it’d been three years.

Jo spread his arms at that. “See, there’s your answer.” Mon-El found himself joining him when he laughed. “I’ll be at my house if you decide to go back in time.” With that he turned around and walked away, leaving Mon-El alone with his thoughts. The Daxamite turned his gaze to Kara’s suit, his hands resting in his pockets. Even after everything Jo had said he wondered if it would be a good idea to go back… _home._ It was his home, at the end. He might’ve spent three years with the Legion, three times longer than he’d spent with Kara, yet that didn’t change that she was, and would always be, where he belonged.

The problem with that was… He didn’t know if _he_ was Kara’s home. He didn’t know if she still loved him, if she _should_ love him. If she knew about her future and if she knew being with him could get in the way of that, would she choose him? And knowing that he could get in the way of her future, could he really go back? Should he?

He didn’t know that, he didn’t know what was the right thing to do or not. He doubted he’d ever know, and if there was even a right answer anyway. Which was why it took him probably longer than it should to decide what to do.

It was only then that he left the Super Museum.


	2. Present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all.
> 
> Okay, so, I was so not planning to finish this fanfic till, like, my exams were over (which is about two weeks later), but my plot bunnies didn't leave me alone, I had some down time (if you count not being sleepy at 1 a.m. downtime) soooooo this happened. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!

**_14 th of November, 2017 – 6 months after Mon-El was forced to leave Earth_ **

Kara had never counted herself to be a bookworm. Not because she didn’t like reading, because she _did_ , but she didn’t have much time to do that. It usually took her about two or three weeks to finish a book, no matter how exciting she thought it was, just because she couldn’t find the time to get her hands on it. With CatCo, DEO, her friends, and…and _Mon-El_ , she was just too busy.

But recently, _too busy_ hadn’t been a word in her vocabulary. In fact, she had _too much_ free time, now that…

Now that Mon-El was gone.

A pang of pain hit her in the chest as she couldn’t help grimacing, the words in front of her blurring for a second. She blinked several times, trying to refocus her vision on the Harry Potter book. The fifth one, if she wasn’t wrong. The one Mon-El had been halfway through, at least based on his bookmark, before he…

_He never even got to finish it._

Kara knew how much he hated that; he’d always complained when he was interrupted while reading, and he had a special glare that he preserved for anyone that spoiled the parts he hadn’t read yet. Even though he _still_ couldn’t spell spoiler correctly. What had he called it the last time? _Spoirer?_

Kara bit the inside of his cheek to keep herself from crying as she flipped the page, coming face to face with a pink post-it with some writing scribbled to it. Mon-El’s handwriting. A small smile pulled her lips as she remembered the time she yelled at him for writing on one of her books. Since then he’d opted to use post-its instead, yet he never quite gave up taking notes inside books.

She traced the writing on the piece of paper with shaky fingers. It was such a ridiculously small and innocent note that she couldn’t help smiling. It was so…so Mon-El. _Umbridge – The real villain?_

Tears welled up in her eyes at that, even though it was probably the fifth or sixth time she took the book in her hand and read it until Mon-El’s mark. She’d read the whole Harry Potter series, until there, at least five times. _That_ was how much free time she had. And she knew… She knew she could’ve read other books, books that she hadn’t read before, yet each time she tried to pick up something else… Her mind was going back to the books Mon-El had read. She was reading them over and over again, savoring his short notes, the dog-eared pages—she found herself, to her surprise, actually liking that and holding it close to her heart—the highlighted quotes and words with question marks around, trying to imagine what he could be thinking when he did all of those things. Wondering if he had books to read… _wherever_ he ended up going. At least if he ended up somewhere and he hadn’t floated in space until he—

She quickly shook that thought away when sobs started building up in her throat, and grabbed the package of tissues from her coffee table. She hadn’t set the book aside, holding onto it with all that she had, even though it was impossible for her to read it. The piece of tissue crumbled under her fingers as she attempted to wipe away her tears.

All she accomplished was wetting her cheeks.

She remembered how Mon-El used to wipe her tears away when she cried. He was always so, so gentle about it, taking her face in his hands and swiping his thumbs over his cheeks in a feathery touch. Yet it was also comforting and reassuring, telling her that he was by her side and he’d _always_ be by her side. She missed that. She missed that, and all the other big _and_ little things that Mon-El added to her life so much that it physically _hurt._ It’d almost been six months since he was forced to leave, yet the pain and longing hadn’t lessened one bit. Lately… Lately her life started to become about nothing but CqtCo and DEO. She spent her working hours, and even sometimes more than that, CatCo if she wasn’t working on a story; then she’d be out chasing it. If she wasn’t doing either of that, she’d be in DEO waiting for the next threat to stop, and she’d rushed there the moment it came. She jumped at _every opportunity_ to keep herself busy; in fact, she’d tried to pick up so many hobbies that she lost count of it.

But of course, there were also days like this in which she didn’t even feel like getting out of the bed, and she curled under a blanket with one of Mon-El’s favorite books in her hands, reading and rereading it until…

She really didn’t know if there was an _until._

Shutting her eyes she closed the Harry Potter book and rested her forehead against it, trying to pull herself together. Yet she couldn’t help a silent sob that escaped her lips.

Luckily, right at that second, a knock coming from the door distracted her. _Alex._ Most probably, at least. She might’ve gotten worried when Kara didn’t show up at DEO. She could call in sick from CatCo without Snapper getting suspicious, but there was no way she could do that with DEO, being Supergirl and all.

Sniffing into a tissue she threw it to her side and pushed herself off of the couch. “Alex,” she started as she stood up, stopping when she suddenly felt a wave of dizziness hit her. Well, apparently that was what happened when you lied down the whole day. “I don’t need you to—“ she continued as she walked to the door and opened it…

And came to a complete stop the moment she saw the person behind it.

Her heart started slamming against her ribs as she stared at his chest for a couple of seconds, afraid to look up, afraid to realize this was all a dream and he wasn’t here. It was entirely possible that she’d fallen asleep on the couch and now she was seeing this…this dream that he was…

Her fingers tightened around the doorknob, so much so that she could feel it getting crushed under her strength, yet she didn’t— _couldn’t_ —care. Slowly, _very_ slowly she lifted her gaze, her eyes traveling over his chest, tight muscles, and tense shoulders, taking in his jawline and stubble, his lips, and finally his eyes. His deep grey, almost blue eyes, shining with joy, happiness, fear, confusion… _life._ They were lively, they were bright, but most of all they were _alive_ and _there._ Kara felt tears fill her eyes at that. At _him._ Because he was there, he was _back_ , and he was _alive_.

“Mon-El?” Kara croaked, her voice low with her fear that somehow Mon-El would suddenly disappear and leave her again. A small smile appeared on Mon-El’s face at his name as he stared deep into Kara’s eyes, as if he couldn’t—as if he didn’t _want_ to—look away. “Hey,” he breathed with such a low voice that Kara couldn’t hear it if she didn’t have superhearing. Shifting his hands in his pockets uncomfortably, he cleared his throat. “I’m back.”

 _I’m back._ Those two words, the hoarseness and shakiness in his voice, and even just the fact that she could hear it was enough to convince Kara that he was there. She felt her vision blur with tears as she threw herself on him with such force, such _desperation_ that he had to take one or two step back to steady both of them.

And for the first time, unlike her dreams—or nightmares, one could call them—her hands didn’t go through him, but she could actually _feel_ him under her embrace. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close, as close as possible, burying her face on his shoulder and inhaling his scent. Something that she’d missed so dearly, especially since no matter how long she tried to hold onto the scent of his clothes it dissipated quickly, in maybe less than two weeks. She held onto him like she’d never held onto anyone, listening to his heart, beating steadily but surely, strongly, _healthily_ , and she could… She could _hear_ it. She could _hear_ the rhythm of it, unique to Mon-El, indicating that _yes,_ it was really him. Well, it was a bit faster than normal, but that didn’t change that he was there. He was _there_ with _her._

Mon-El’s arms circled Kara’s waist no longer than a millisecond after she lunged on him, holding her as desperately as she was holding him. Kara’s tears were wetting his shirt, yet it didn’t seem like he minded it at all. He just rested his chin on her shoulder until she could find her voice.

“You’re here,” she whispered then, her voice muffled because she spoke to his shirt. She was pretty sure it sounded unintelligible. “You’re _here._ ” Mon-El laughed heartily at that as he brushed the ends of her hair with his fingers.

“Yeah, I am,” he whispered with a small nod. “I came back.” Kara couldn’t stop her sobs as they escaped from her lips, no matter how much she tried, with the relief washing over her. Her knees buckled and she was pretty sure she would fall down if it wasn’t for Mon-El. Yet he was there now to hold her. She didn’t have to hug her pillows tightly, as tightly as she wanted to in his absence, since nobody else could handle her strength. She didn’t have to wear his clothes to bed just to feel that he was close to her. She didn’t have to—

The thought hit her only then. She probably should’ve thought about it before—it should’ve been the _first_ thing she thought about—yet…yet with the rush of happiness and relief and elation she couldn’t think _anything_ other than the fact that Mon-El, her boyfriend, her mate, the person she loved with all her heart was _back,_ with her, and she didn’t have to be alone anymore. She didn’t have to shy away from touching people because she was afraid of hurting them—she had _no idea_ how used to she’d gotten to Mon-El’s touch—she didn’t have to pretend like she felt all those supposedly comforting hugs when she didn’t, she didn’t have to wake up to an empty bed, she didn’t have to look up several times _every single day_ to say something to him only to realize he wasn’t there, she didn’t have to carry a hole in her heart wherever she went, no matter what she was doing. She had him back. _She had him back,_ and it was all that mattered…

Except the fact that the atmosphere was still very much poisonous to Daxamites.

Her eyes flickered open with that thought as she suddenly pulled back, yet her hands were still on his shoulders. She could feel fear gripping her heart. “The lead poisoning,” she whispered, looking at his eyes. “Mon-El, the—the atmosphere! It’s… It’ll kill you!”

“Kara—“ Mon-El tried to cut in, resting his hands on her waist, yet Kara couldn’t hear him. Her ears were ringing as her eyes traveled on him, seeing if he was okay, if lead was affecting him, if it would _kill_ him. She _couldn’t_ let him die, she _couldn’t_ lose him like that. Yes, there was a chance she’d never see him again once he was gone… _again,_ but at least he’d be alive. She’d be able to live with herself as long as he was alive. She’d be able to keep on moving, she’d be able to continue her life as long as she knew Mon-El was out there somewhere, safe and breathing.

“We have to…” she tried to speak over her tears, putting her hands on his chest. “We have to get you out of here before…before the lead starts affecting you. Before you’re—“ Her voice trailed off as tears overwhelmed her, and there was a good chance she’d fall apart if Mon-El hadn’t grabbed her hands and held them tightly. It was probably a good thing too, because _falling apart_ was the last thing either of them needed right then.

“Kara, I’m okay,” Mon-El whispered when he saw that she was struggling with words. Kara tried to blink her tears away and shook her head, but he didn’t let her look away as he ducked his chin. “Look at me. Look into my eyes,” he pleaded, his voice low. He adjusted his grip on her hands and squeezed them reassuringly. “Lead isn’t affecting me. Not anymore. I’m okay. I’m _alive._ ” He smiled at her as he softly pushed her hair away from her face, stroking her cheeks in the process. “I’m _home_ now.” Kara looked at him, trying to focus over her pounding heart as she reached up slowly to take his face in her hands. She could still feel his heart beating steadily. _It was very unsteady when I had to send him away,_ she couldn’t help thinking. But now… Now she could hear its strength. And… And not only that, he also didn’t look pale. He wasn’t coughing or struggling to breathe, he was—he was _okay_. He was _better_ than okay, actually. He looked like in the last few months he was gone he’d built up a good amount of muscle; Kara could feel their tightness under her touch. He also stood a bit straighter, looked surer of himself, and he definitely seemed more self-confident than she’d ever seen him. As if… As if finally he felt comfortable in his skin. As if he liked who he was.

“You’re… You’re sure?” Kara asked with a small voice as she held the nape of his neck tightly, not wanting to let go. “You’re not—“

“I’m not,” Mon-El nodded, putting his hand over hers. “I promise.” He curled his fingers to lace them through hers, and the Kryptonian could see tears building up behind his eyes. “I… I missed you,” he whispered after a couple of seconds, his eyes traveling over her face, her lips, her body, and finally they found her eyes. “You have no idea _how much_ I missed you.” A laugh burst out of Kara’s throat at that as she shook her head, balling his t-shirt in her hand.

“I think I might,” she whispered before reaching up, capturing his lips with hers. Mon-El seemed surprised at first, as if the kiss was unexpected, but then he moaned into it and wrapped his arms around her waist. Kara didn’t know exactly how they walked into the house, or how Mon-El managed to shut the door behind them, but in a matter of seconds they were inside with his back pressed on the door. Kara dropped her one hand from his neck to his chest, tracing the lines of his muscles, while she buried the other in his hair. Biting his lower lip she lifted herself up to her tiptoes, trying to get as close to Mon-El as possible, not wanting there to be even half an inch between them. It seemed like nothing would be close enough. Not that Mon-El seemed to mind anyway; he was holding her as tightly as she was holding him, not letting her get far away even a little, and kissed her back with such passion that Kara almost felt like fireworks were going off inside her. And she reveled in all of that; his touch, his kiss, the feel of his lips on her, or even just the fact that she was able to feel him. It felt so good; it _was_ so good.

The Kryptonian only pulled back when she felt her breath shorten, and she needed air. Yet even then she rested her forehead against his, her eyes shut, her hands on both sides of Mon-El’s face. Her fingertips brushed his jawline, and a smile pulled her lips when she heard him suck in a breath. Blinking her eyes open she looked at him.

“How?” she couldn’t help asking a couple of seconds later. “How are you…here? How is lead…?” Mon-El’s smile slipped off his face at that as his gaze flickered away from her. He cleared his throat before he answered.

“I’ll… I’ll tell you everything.” He sounded so serious that Kara couldn’t help frowning as he took her hand. “Do you mind if we, um…sit and talk? For a couple of minutes? So that we can…” His voice trailed off as a nervous cloud loomed over him. Kara nodded quickly, and then both of them turned to her apartment.

Kara felt Mon-El still next to her, and she was pretty sure a blush was creeping up her cheeks as her eyes traveled on Mon-El’s clothes scattered here and there throughout the room, the pillow on the couch that belonged to his side of the bed, his apron balled up on the kitchen island, and hoards of book resting on every surface of the room. Rushing forward she grabbed two of Mon-El’s plaid shirts from the kitchen stools, balling them in one hand to take the Harry Potter book on the table. “Let me just put these away,” she mumbled, not even facing him, at least not until she whirled around to reach for Mon-El’s copy of Romeo & Juliet, and instead found herself staring at his chest. She jumped back. “Oh, I’m—I’m sorry,” she stuttered, but her voice quickly trailed off with the intensity of his gaze. He handed her the Romeo & Juliet book, his eyes never leaving hers.

“You didn’t get rid of them,” he whispered, searching her face. Kara gulped and nodded, bringing the stuff in her hands close to her heart inadvertently.

“I couldn’t,” she confessed, her shoulders slumping slightly. She cleared her throat before she looked away. “Getting rid of them would mean that…that I accepted you were gone forever and I… I wasn’t ready for that.” She scrunched up her forehead as she laughed nervously. “Stupid, right? I mean, it wasn’t like…like you could ever come. At least not that I knew of.” She felt Mon-El’s fingers under her chin, pushing up her head so that he could look at her eyes. A small smile was playing on his lips.

“Not at all,” he disagreed, shaking his head, before clearing his throat and changing the subject. He pointed at the couch with his head. “So, should we… Should we sit down?”

Kara’s nod may have been too eager as she let Mon-El lead her there. They sat down side-by-side, Kara’s hands still in Mon-El’s as if he was afraid to let go, their knees brushing each other’s slightly. The Kryptonian watched Mon-El as he fixed his gaze on the floor, struggling with the words. He finally took a deep breath and started, lifting his head.

“After I left earth, I was trying to set a course for myself when…when a portal appeared in front of me. I tried to escape it but it pulled me in, and I found myself… I found myself ten thousand years in the future. In 31st century.” Kara’s mouth dropped open at that.

“Wait,” she stopped him, shaking her head. “ _31 st century?” _Mon-El chuckled dryly and nodded.

“Yeah, that was my reaction at first. But as it turned out, it wasn’t an accident.” His brows furrowed as he absentmindedly started to draw circles on the back of Kara’s hand with his thumb. “I… I can’t tell you a lot about the people that took me, they asked me not to since it might be dangerous for many people to know about the future, but I can say that they…they needed my help with a mission of theirs, and in return they gave me a cure for my lead poisoning.” He laced his fingers through hers, watching their hands for a second before continuing. “But… But they told me that the atmosphere would still be too poisonous for me before at least five months passed, so that was why… That was why they couldn’t sent me back to the day I left.” He looked up. “I’m sorry about that.” Kara frowned, shaking her head immediately.

“No, Mon-El, don’t apologize for that. It wasn’t your fault.” She scooted closer to him, cupping his cheek. “I knew you’d have come back to me as soon as possible if you had that chance. I just…” She pressed her lips together as she struggled to put together the right words. “It’s been a hard six months for me. Without… Without you here.” A corner of Mon-El’s lips tipped up as he nodded, resting his forehead against Kara’s.

“Yeah. It’s… It’s been a hard three years for me too,” he whispered. Kara froze at that at first before pulling back, looking at his face.

“Three years?” she asked with a hoarse voice. The look on Mon-El’s face was confirmation enough. He tried to shrug nonchalantly, as if it wasn’t a big deal, yet it didn’t work. The pain flickering in his eyes, the tension in his shoulders, the strain in his expression… It told her all. “Oh my God,” she couldn’t help gasping. Three years. _Three years._ Mon-El had spent _three years_ without her before he could come back, and she… She couldn’t even _imagine_ what it must’ve been like. Even the six months she spent was excruciating for her, and there were moments that she wanted to give up and spend the rest of her life under a blanket. Having to go through that for two and a half years more… She doubted she’d survive it. At least this version of her wouldn’t. It’d change her irreversibly, and she…she really didn’t want to know who she would’ve become then.

“It’s okay,” Mon-El whispered, taking her out of her thoughts and caressing her hair. “It… It gave me a lot of time to train and…and get better, and be the hero I promised you I would be.” He cleared his throat with a frown, as if trying to hide his discomfort. “And I wanted to be that person. Before I came back, I wanted to become that person. Which was probably why it took me so long to—“ Kara stopped him by cupping his cheeks.

“Mon-El, stop,” she said softly, leaning forward to look at his face. “You were already a hero when you left, okay? You…You sacrificed _everything_ that you had to save Earth. You went up against you _mother,_ you fought the Daxamites knowing you could get hurt, you risked your life to protect the people in this city.” She flashed him a smile. “I couldn’t have been prouder of you,” she continued, her voice shaking with the weight of emotions.

At first surprise flickered in Mon-El’s eyes at that, like he couldn’t believe it, but then they started shining with joy as a smile pulled his lips. “Yeah?” he asked, making Kara chuckle. She nodded.

“One hundred percent yeah.” With that she reached up, ready to press her lips on his…until she felt his hands on her shoulders, stopping her. Furrowing her brows she opened her eyes and looked at him, her heart skipping a beat with fear. She tried to catch Mon-El’s eyes, to see if she’d done anything wrong— _what_ she’d done wrong—yet he was staring at his hands.

“Before… Before we do that,” he started, his voice tense, “you need to know something. You _deserve_ to know something.” Kara couldn’t help the fear gripping her heart. Nothing good ever came after that. _Nothing._ She tried to swallow hard, tried to stop her brain from jumping to conclusions, but it was almost impossible. She couldn’t say anything as Mon-El continued, pulling his hands to his lap as if he wanted to put some distance between him and Kara. “When I was there, I’d… I’d gotten to see what happened to you. You know, in your future.” Kara’s brows shot up at that. “And Kara, you… You become someone incredible. You’ve done so many great things that—that I wish I could tell you about. Even centuries later you’re still remembered.” He took a shaky breath, as if doing that pained him, and looked at her in the eye for the first time. “And all of that happened _without_ me.”

That was probably the last thing Kara expected him to say. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out, at least at first. She blinked several times to pull herself together. “Mon-El, what are you talking about?” she couldn’t help asking. She couldn’t imagine what he said being the reason he stopped her. Yes, she might’ve done all that…stuff without him, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t do them _with_ him. She doubted that would be a hindrance. In fact, she was _sure_ he wouldn’t be one.

“You deserve that future, Kara, and much more. And there’s a chance that…that you can’t have it if you’re with me. I just… Before you made your decision, before you chose to be with me, I wanted you to know what you were choosing and…and what you were giving up.” His knee brushed hers briefly as he fixed his gaze on the table. Kara could hear the desperation in his voice as he said the last words, as if he…he _wanted_ her to choose him, he wanted her to choose him _desperately_ but he thought… He thought she wouldn’t. Or maybe she _shouldn’t._ She felt her heart break for him in her chest. She’d gotten it wrong, she’d gotten it _so_ wrong. It wasn’t that Mon-El didn’t want to be with her anymore. He thought that _she_ shouldn’t be with him. He though that…that she’d choose the _possibility_ of an amazing future over him.

“Mon-El…” Kara whispered, cupping his cheek and turning his eyes to her. “I love you.” The words rolled off her tongue so easily, so _honestly_ that even she was surprised. She heard Mon-El’s breath getting hitched in his throat and saw his eyes widen at that. She couldn’t help smiling. “I love you, okay? And I’m—I’m not choosing the possibility of a great future over someone that I love. I’d rather have a great present than be remembered in the future.” She pushed a strand of his hair away from his forehead. “And I want that present to include _you_.” Surprise and joy flickered in Mon-El’s eyes briefly at that, and the ghost of a smile appeared on his lips, but all of that disappeared quickly. Frowning, he shook his head.

“Kara, what if I get in the way of you having that future? What if I—“

“You won’t,” Kara interjected, a teasing grin on her face. “I’m the girl of steel, no one can stop me from getting what I want. Even though it seems like you’ve built up some muscle.” She felt her heart swell when she heard him chuckle at that. “So don’t you ever doubt you’d be a hindrance to me, okay? You won’t. You make me happy, Mon-El, _so_ happy, and that’s all I can ask from the world.” It took a couple of seconds for Mon-El to answer, but then he nodded, happiness flickering in his eyes.

“Yeah.” A smile widened on his face before he stopped, as if something came to his mind. “Oh, and I also need to give you something.” Reaching around his neck he unclasped something. Kara frowned as she tried to guess what it was…at least until she saw her mother’s necklace hanging from his hand, swinging back and forth. Mon-El lifted it in the air to show it to her. “It did keep me safe and…and reminded me that I wasn’t alone. That I wouldn’t be alone. So…thank you.” He took her hand to put the necklace in it, at least until Kara stopped him. She shook her head as she felt emotions clogging her throat. _He held onto it,_ she couldn’t help thinking. It’d been three years since he left, yet he’d held onto it, keeping it close to his heart. She had to blink her tears away as she spoke.

“No, I want you… I want you to keep it. So that you…you always have a part of me with you.” She reached forward to close his fingers around the necklace, flashing him a smile. At first Mon-El seemed surprised, but then his eyes filled with such intense emotions, such _happiness_ that it almost took Kara’s breath away. He nodded, as if he was at a loss of words, before cupping her cheek. This time _he_ leaned forward and pressed a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. A kiss that said thank you and—

“I love you,” he whispered, stroking her hair. A smile spread on Kara’s face at that, and she felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She looked up at him, all of the love she felt shining in her eyes.

“Good,” she said before she closed the distance between them, pressing her lips on his.

* * *

**_34 th Century A.D._ **

A smile pulled Jo’s lips as he looked up at the Super Museum, especially the statues in front of it. He had an idea about what he would see there after Mon-El had gone back to the time he belonged to, yet he wanted to make sure. Despite everything the Daxamite said about being a hindrance to Kara’s future, he never quite believed him. And the sight in front of him only proved what he thought: Mon-El hadn’t stopped Kara from having an amazing future. Her statue was still there, standing right in front of Jo, looking as strong and confident as ever. She’d still reached her full potential, even though she had had Mon-El in her life this time.

There was only one change to her future: Instead of two statues, there were now three of them standing in front of the museum: Supergirl, Superman, and… _Valor._ Jo couldn’t help laughing at the irony of it. Mon-El always believed he would keep Kara from becoming her best self, yet he never thought of the alternative: That he’d be remembered as a superhero as well centuries after his death. That he’d become the hero he always wanted to be.

A part of Jo wished he could show this to him, telling Mon-El that he’d been right all along. “I told you so,” he’d say as Mon-El probably gaped at his statue. Yet another part…

Another part was just proud of who he’d become. Who he and Kara had become together. At the end, that was all he could ask for his friend.


End file.
